


This Is the End

by Evil_Little_Dog



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist
Genre: Alternate Universe - Post-Canon, Gen, Post-Canon, Prompt Fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-08
Updated: 2013-11-08
Packaged: 2017-12-31 21:51:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1036773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evil_Little_Dog/pseuds/Evil_Little_Dog
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Summary:  It’s Roy’s inauguration as President<br/>Disclaimer:  All I own of FMA are the weird little things I’ve purchased.  And Arakawa ain’t selling.</p>
            </blockquote>





	This Is the End

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kryss_delrhei](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kryss_delrhei/gifts).



> This is a sequel, more or less, to ["It Started Like This"](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1035149).

After all is said and done, she’s standing on his left flank when he is overwhelmingly proclaimed the first elected president of Amestris. His wife, Gracia, stands next to him with his adopted daughter, Elicia Hughes-Mustang, and Elicia’s little brother, Ryan Maes Mustang, is in his mother’s arms. In the audience, on the front row, the Elric families cheer, some more enthusiastically than others, and beyond them, Roy can see others who’ve helped him on his way. He hates the missing faces – Aunt Chris and Maes, notably; and Major General Grumman, but he cannot – will not – allow those losses to color this life. 

He leans over and kissed Gracia’s cheek, tousles Ryan’s hair, and taps Elicia’s nose, accepting the final applause before he waves, and guides his family off-stage. Riza Hawkeye follows behind him, at her normal five paces. “Gracia, dear, go ahead on to the party. I know there are people waiting to see you and the kids.” 

She nods, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Don’t be too long,” she warns, before leaving him alone, backstage, with Hawkeye. 

Now, Roy scrubs at the back of his neck fitfully before turning to Riza. She stands at parade rest, hands clasped behind her back, feet shoulder width apart. Roy takes a deep breath. “Thank you,” he says, “for…everything.” There are so many things to thank her for – flame alchemy, saving his life, not dying. Sticking with him throughout so many years. Realizing, no matter how much they loved each other, they were too dedicated to what they’d done, creating a new governing body in Amestris, where everyone was protected, not just those the military might deem worthy. 

“You’re welcome, sir,” Riza replies, and if her voice trembles just the tiniest bit, Roy knows she’d pass it off as excitement of the evening, and his winning the election against Olivier Armstrong. 

Roy loves his wife, first for how happy she made his best friend, then, how willing she was to take Maes’s place as his best friend, finally, as a person in her own right. The time is long past that he could even imagine a life without her, Elicia, and Ryan. But, just for now, in this second, he does – imagines a life with Riza, a life where he never joined the military, where he continued his training with Berthold Hawkeye, where he didn’t learn flame alchemy. Where, eventually, he proved his worth to his master, and Berthold approves their wedding, giving away his beautiful daughter. Where they have children, and Aunt Chris dandles them on her knee, and teaches them secrets that Roy had to fight to learn. Where Grumman is not a commanding officer, but instead, a doting grandparent, who gives the silliest toys imaginable, but also makes sure, when they’re old enough, his great-grandchildren know how to shoot to protect themselves. 

But then, they wouldn’t be standing here, they wouldn’t have been part of the team that rescued the entire country on the Promised Day. And, Roy knew, he would’ve never entered the political arena, and wouldn’t be standing on this stage. 

“It’s been a long, strange trip,” Riza says. She smiles, a slow, warm smile, that might not have the sensuous appeal it once did, especially when she had a wedding ring on her finger. “But I wouldn’t have missed this, President.” 

“Roy,” he says, not quite a plea.

“Roy,” Riza agrees, this last time. She touches his chest, and tilts up her chin to kiss his cheek. “You should get to your party.” 

“Yes,” Roy says, trying to ignore the tingle her kiss left behind. He adjusts the lapels of his coat, smoothes his hand over his hair. “Shall we?” 

Riza nods, but he doesn’t let her follow behind, but touches her shoulder to make sure she walks beside him, this one time.


End file.
